MacLean: ‘I accept full responsibility’ for bar violations

Club owned by MacLean loses licence for 2 days; strippers had contact with patrons

Port Hawkesbury Mayor Billy Joe MacLean is the director of the company that owns the Carriage House Lounge and China King Family Restaurant. The lounge’s liquor licence and VLT certificate were suspended for two days after exotic dancers made contact with customers, a violation of provincial regulations. (File)

Exotic dancers who performed at a Port Hawkesbury bar and restaurant were told to keep their distance from patrons, says bar owner and town mayor Billy Joe MacLean.

The Carriage House Lounge and China King Family Restaurant, at 825 Reeves St., had its liquor licence and video lottery terminal certificate suspended for Thursday and Friday after a December evening where strippers violated five Nova Scotia liquor licensing regulations.

The bar and eatery are owned by Bluenose Enterprises Ltd., with MacLean serving as the company’s director.

“I haven’t worked in the bar business for 25 years, but I’m ultimately responsible because I’m the owner,” MacLean told The Chronicle Herald on Friday. “I accept complete responsibility for what happened. My management made a mistake as many mistakes are made.”

MacLean said exotic dance shows are held at the Carriage House up to six times a year, featuring both men and women.

“We’ve had dancers for the last 25 years, four, five, six times a year without incident,” said MacLean. “Those other … times, they (did) not go near the audience. As long as they don’t go near the audience, you’re keeping within the law.”

MacLean said there were advertisements posted around town about the December performance and dancers were given proper instructions by management.

In a decision from Service Nova Scotia’s alcohol and gaming division, dated July 22, an agreed statement of facts says that on Dec. 13, 2013, at about 1:30 a.m., an RCMP officer saw four men sitting in chairs against a wall in the bar, each with a naked stripper in direct contact with them.

There was no stage set up in the bar and no sign posted outside notifying patrons of the evening’s entertainment.

“Somebody all of a sudden, I don’t know what’s in their minds, they left the stage and went up into the crowd,” said MacLean.

“They were there a total of four minutes and they were sent back. But they still broke the rules in the four minutes.”

According to provisions of the Liquor Control Act, there must be no physical contact between customers and adult entertainers, including a customer placing a tip or gratuity on the adult entertainer or any part of the adult entertainer’s clothing.

Customers must be separated from the stage by a distance of at least one metre and only one adult entertainer may perform at one time, unless otherwise approved.